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1997 Prelude with a Turbo K20

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

Dominik Przystasz wanted more power out of his 1997 Honda Prelude. He originally planned on a turbocharger kit but realized he wanted something a little more unique. So Dominik sent the Prelude to Łukasz Szymański and his company Empire Racing Engineering in Stare Babice, Poland for an engine swap.

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

Łukasz replaced the factory 2.2 L H22A5 inline-four with a 2.0 L K20A2 inline-four from a Civic Type R using Hasport swap mounts. They upgraded the K20 with a Garrett GT3071R turbocharger, RBC manifold, and Skunk2 74 mm throttle body. It’s fed fuel through 630 cc injectors from a Skunk2 fuel rail and Walbro 255 pump.

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

The engine also features a Skunk2 radiator, TurboWorks intercooler, Sidewinder exhaust manifold, and custom 3-inch exhaust. The combination results in a stock K20 making 371 horsepower and 372 Nm (274 lb-ft) of torque on a Ecumaster EMU Classic ECU. Power reaches the front wheels through a Exedy Stage 2 clutch and factory K20A2 transmission.

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

The Prelude rides on a KYB suspension with lowering springs, Type S strut bar, and polyurethane bushings everywhere. A set of Rota Grid 17-inch ET30 wheels with Yokohama Advan Sport V105 XL tires cover VTi 282 disc brakes in front and stock Prelude brakes in back.

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

1997 Honda Prelude with a turbo K20 inline-four

The next step for the car is a Tein suspension and Brembo 4-piston calipers with 330 mm rotors. All this is in preparation for a new built motor expected to make 600 horsepower.

20 thoughts on “1997 Prelude with a Turbo K20”

    1. Hi Dominik,

      Great info but when you say you based them off the Civic mounts, do you mean that the HASport Civic harnesses will match with the Prelude mounts and make this swap work, or did you just have to chop up the BBK1 parts to make it work?

      Also interested to know if there were any problems with hood contact.

      Cheers

  1. So the axels are also custom made based on ep3. They are much stronger than the original one’s. Lot of parts were custom made to fit this engine and everything into the car as I wanted.

  2. So I dont have to source the passenger side (uk)mount bracket from a 4th gen with a h22 then? I can just mod the one that came with the Hasport mount kit? I’ve been waiting on that bracket so I can start my 98 Prelude/Built K24 swap!

  3. The engine bracket on the car for the driver side or now the transmission side. Where did that come from? I know that bracket does not come with the hasport kit.

  4. Hi Joe,

    No, we just checked how it’s solved in Civic mounts (black bracket). We made a project and cut this on cnc. As I remember there wasn’t much problem with the space between engine cover and hood. I had a problem with sidewinder exhaust manifold and a turbo (turbo was to high and it was touching the hood) so I had to modified the exhaust manifold.

  5. I’m just wondering what length were the driveshafts that you used for this build? I’m having trouble finding any guidance on k swap driveshafts for the 5th gen prelude

  6. Hi Dominik,

    I was wondering if you’d still have CAD files for the mounts you had to make custom. I’d love to get in touch and chat. I’ve sent you a PM via Facebook, hopefully we can work something out.

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